Behind the Blue Moon
by SkyFire2
Summary: An unfortunate accident has unforeseeable consequences for the Lord of the Western Lands. Inu characters only. FINISHED.
1. The Accident

**Title:** Behind the Blue Moon  
**Author(s):** SkyFire   
**Rating:** PG13  
**Summary:** An unfortunate accident has unforeseeable consequences for the Lord of the Western Lands.  
**Genre:** Drama  
**Warnings:** Possible slash/yaoi ahead. Not sure, but maybe. WIP. 

**Author's Notes: (1)** I have a vague idea where this is going. Let me know if you want to see more.  
**(2) **My first Inuyasha fanfic, though not my first fic (I write for "Lord of the Rings" and "Pirates of the Caribbean"). Ideas and suggestions are always welcomed. Flames will be force-fed to the youkai in my basement; what he decides to do with them is none of my business.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters from the Inuyasha series, movies, or manga. Though if someone would kindly donate a Sesshomaru, I wouldn't turn him down... ;oP

* * *

**Part 1: The Accident**

The blast of the Wind Scar smashed the demon back against the cliff face, destroying the monster and taking a chunk out of the cliff face.

The shard of the Shikon Jewel the demon had possessed was found, purified. A round of 'I'm all right, are you?'s followed, then, assured that no one had taken mentionable injury, they turned back to the road they had been walking before they had been attacked.

* * *

They had barely begun to leave the area when they heard the patter of small feet over freshly-fallen rock and the unmistakable sound of a certain small girl. 

"Lord Sesshomaru!" she cried. "Where are you, my Lord? Lord Sesshomaru?"

Turning back in confusion, the five saw Rin climbing over the mass of broken stone that was the result of the Wind Scar's last terrible blast.

"Rin?" called Kagome as the group ran over to Sesshomaru's distraught protege. "Rin, what's wrong?"

The girl looked over, a relieved look coming over her face as she saw them. "It's Lord Sesshomaru! We were walking along the path at the top of the cliff when suddenly he threw me away." Her eyes teared up and she sniffled, wiping at her nose with one hand. "There was a loud noise, and when I looked back, the path had fallen, and now I can't find Lord Sesshomaru! Please help me find him," she begged.

Why would we want to do–" Inuyasha started, arms crossed over his chest in refusal, only to be cut off mid-refusal by the others' rush to the rock pile. "Hey! Whatcha doin' that for? It's not as if he'll be grateful at all. And besides, he's probably fine."

"Inuyasha," Kagome said, climbing with the others onto the unsettled ground. "Forget all that and come help."

"But I don't--"

"Inuyasha." Her tone told him that unless he went over and helped in the search, that one dreaded word would escape her lips. Repeatedly.

Grumbling in annoyance –though carefully not loud enough for Kagome to hear-- Inuyasha joined the others in the search for his half-brother. The smells of dead demon, blood, and rock-dust filled the air, effectively stopping him from sniffing out the missing youkai. The sound of settling stone likewise assaulted sensitive ears as he searched halfheartedly amongst the rubble.

For nearly half and hour, they scrambled over the heap of slowly settling stone, calling out the name they had never expected to have to, the name of the demon lord who always seemed to be trying to kill Inuyasha.

But for all their calling, they received no reply; not a single word or noise answered either their uncertain calls or Rin's increasingly frightened ones. Then--

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin screamed, her voice high and terrified. "Here! Help! Help! Lord Sesshomaru!"

Converging as quickly as safely possible on Rin, the group arrived to see Rin on her knees on the pile, pulling rocks aside to roll down the hill.

She looked up briefly as they arrived, then went back to task, tears leaving clean streaks down the dirt and dust on her face.

Right before her a pale, clawed hand stuck up out of the heap of rocks. A pair of pale purple stripes curling around the wrist confirmed its owner's identity.

As quickly as they dared, knowing that moving the wrong stone at the wrong time could result in the pile shifting, cause further injury to the buried youkai as well as possible doing the same to them, they dug.

Carefully, they moved stone after stone, growing only more concerned the further they dug as there was still no noise from the buried one, nor even a twitch from the arm that, they could now see, was twisted awkwardly away from the body; aiming straight up while the body itself was yet nowhere in evidence.

It was with trepidation –and a worried glance at Rin, being held away by an equally-concerned and solemn Miroku-- that Sango had reached out, pressed knowing fingers to the hollow of the wrist. Sighed in relief when she felt –somewhat weaker that hoped for, but not as much as feared-- the faint flutter of a pulse.

And so they kept digging, each wondering how extensive his injuries must be that he had not simply gotten back up after the fall. All knew the horrendous damage Inuyasha could take and shrug off, and he was only a half-demon. How terrible would Sesshomaru's damage prove to be...?

Kagome was on the ground, doing her utmost to keep Rin and Shippo occupied as Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku finally uncovered the youkai lord's torso, then head.

Red. Everywhere.

Once silvery hair was clumped and matted, soaked with blood that oozed down across what they could see of his face. The chunk of rock that had lain across his head and neck had needed a good amount of Inuyasha's strength to budge; it was nothing short of a miracle that Sesshomaru's skull hadn't been crushed. What they could see of his armor was bent and twisted crazily, pressing against the injured one in a way that had to be anything but comfortable, especially considering the extensive bruising that had to be forming.

Even Inuyasha had nothing to say as they set to uncovering the rest of his half-brother.

At last, the last of the hindering rocks was thrown aside.

With a gentleness that seemed incongruous when considering both the clawed hands and the viciousness with which the brothers tried to kill each other on a regular basis, Inuyasha lifted Sesshomaru from the pit in which he lay. He carried the limp figure carefully down the heap, then lay him gently down on a patch of grass at the side of the road.

Again, Kagome kept the younger members of the group distracted while the other three tended to the demon lord's wounds.

**TBC...?**

Please review! The plotbunnies and I would love to hear from you!


	2. Two Days Later

**Title:** Behind the Blue Moon  
**Author(s):** SkyFire  
**Rating:** PG13  
**Summary:** An unfortunate accident has unforeseeable consequences for the Lord of the Western Lands.  
**Genre:** Drama  
**Warnings:** Possible slash/yaoi ahead. Not sure, but maybe. WIP.

**Author's Notes: (1)** I have a vague idea where this is going. Let me know if you want to see more.  
**(2) **My first Inuyasha fanfic, though not my first fic (I write for "Lord of the Rings" and "Pirates of the Caribbean"). Ideas and suggestions are always welcomed. Flames will be force-fed to the youkai in my basement; what he decides to do with them is none of my business.

I want to say thanks to my reviewers! I'm so happy with your response, thank you so much! I hope you like future chapters as much as you liked the last one! I'd reply to every one of your reviews, but FFnet doesn't allow that anymore, so I'll just have to settle for the collective thanks. I'll be re-posting this in my livejournal (see link in my bio page) so if you want to write me there, I'll answer you!

Just a quick note: Everything I know of the Japanese language I know from reading IY fanfic, so if you see me use something wrong, please let me know so I can fix it! Thanks!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters from the Inuyasha series, movies, or manga. Though if someone would kindly donate a Sesshomaru, I wouldn't turn him down... ;oP

**oOoOo  
Part 2: Two Days Later**

Two days had passed.

The group had set up camp in a sheltered spot not far down the road from where they had fought the demon.

Sesshomaru lay --as he had for the past two days-- in a blanket on the ground near the fire, wrapped up in what seemed to be miles of bandages. Nearly every part of him was covered by the bands of white cloth.

Sango sat on the ground beside the unconscious demon, methodically checking on his wounds.

Thanks to his powerful youkai blood, most of the hurts on his body had healed enough not to need the wrappings, and most of the bruising on face and body had disappeared.

More serious by far was the injury to his head. Two days after the accident and the bandages around his head were still soaking up the oozing blood. The source of the bleeding was a severe gash at the base of his skull. Shattered bone had started healing, the concussion faded, but still Sesshomaru had yet to regain consciousness.

It was strange in an uncomfortable way for the group to see the powerful demon as he was; lying pale and still in the blankets, looking helpless, innocent, and vulnerable for the first time since they had known him.

Even worse than seeing the proud lord laid low was the knowledge that there was nothing they could do to change it. All they could do was try to keep him warm and watered, keep the bandages clean, and wait for his healing powers to do their work.

Sango continued on her self-appointed task, checking the wrappings and wounds, re-wrapping those that needed it, discarding those from wounds that had healed enough not to need them. Trepidation rose in her when she went to check the last of it --the head wound-- but a sigh of relief escaped her when she saw that the once-terrible wound was mostly closed, and healing nicely.

"So?" came an unexpected query from Inuyasha. "How is it?"

"It's finally healing," Sango reported, the relief she felt mirrored on nearly every face there. "He might wake up soon."

Inuyasha just hmphed, seemingly unimpressed. "It's about time."

Almost as if her words had been a cue --not that the lord would have heeded such if he had been aware-- one of Sesshomaru's hands twitched slightly, more movement than the injured one had made since they pulled him from the rubble.

They watched him for a while to see if that small motion had been a sign of impending awakening, but the passing of time gave lie to that hope as he reverted back to motionlessness.

The day died a new death in a wash of firey orange and reds, purples and deep blues creeping quickly across the sky. A sprinkling of stars appeared, twinkling faintly high above.

As every night, the order of the watch was decided and those not on first settled down in their blankets to sleep. A round of "good night"s was spoken and, one slap and 'pervert!' later, the camp grew still and quiet as they, one by one, surrendered to slumber.

Inuyasha, who had first watch, made a circle around the camp, his sharp eyes --as well as ears and nose-- making sure that there was no one nearby before leaping up into a large tree that had a good view of both the camp and surrounding area. Making himself comfortable, he settled in.

Rin, as she had since the accident, slept cuddled up against her lord, waking every so often to check on him, drip droplets of water onto pale lips, one after the other, until she was satisfied that he had drunk at least a sip.

Even during the day she never went far from his side; leaving only to fetch more water, eat, or relieve herself. She had mended the rips in his clothing, her stitches surprisingly delicate and nearly invisible, then washed them. She did what she could, but there were a few stubborn bloodstains that resisted even her surprisingly knowing hands. The fact that she knew, at her young age, so many different ways to remove blood from cloth spoke volumes about the kind of life she had lived thus far. She was also surprisingly quiet; answering any questions with as few words as possible, yet never coming across as curt or disrespectful.

Quiet as she was most of the time, she seemed to have no problem finding her voice when the topic was anything at all relating to Sesshomaru. She defended him strongly in the face of Inuyasha's tactless remarks, or an offhand note by one of the others; she would hear nothing uncomplimentary about her savior without arguing long and hard against it.

It was nearing dawn-time --the sky just the faintest hint lighter in the east-- when Rin awoke. As she had four other times that night, she reached for the little cup of water nearby, dipping a finger in before letting the drop fall to the pale lips, seeping slowly into the mouth.

Unlike the other times, a pink tongue licked the lips after, even as the forehead wrinkled slightly in an unaccustomed frown, head tossing somewhat restlessly even as arms and legs moved at their owner's behest for the first time in days.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked, forgetting to keep her voice low in her excitement. "Are you waking, my Lord? Lord Sesshomaru?"

Rin kept her gaze on her lord's face, ignoring the morning grumbles of a camp roused too early. A smile spread across her face as familiar golden eyes opened at first only a crack then, with an unintelligible murmur of distress, more fully.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I'm so glad you're awake! I was so worried!" Rin said.

Sesshomaru stared silently at the girl at his side before pained golden eyes slid away to focus on the others --Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, and Shippo-- who had gone over to see their charge wake.

"It's about time you woke up," Inuyasha said gruffly. For all his posturing, though, his friends could detect the faint --very faint-- hint of genuine relief in his voice.

Sesshomaru made no reply; just kept glancing from one person to the next, frown only deepening on the normally-expressionless face.

They had nearly decided that Inuyasha had been right in the first place --that not only was the demon lord not showing gratitude, he would not even deign to speak to those who had rescued him-- when he spoke.

If the words he spoke were not enough to tell them something was wrong, then the tone alone ave it away. Small and weak, near-quavering with uncertainty, a flood of the unexpected spilled forth.

"Who are you? Where am I? Why am I so sore?" A small pause, then, in a near wail: "Where's my mother!"

As they stared at him in stunned disbelief, he tried to curl up into a ball under the blankets, only to give up and lay back down straight with a tiny whimper.

He glared at them then, that angry stare a mere shadow of its former self. "If you hurt me, my father will hunt you down and rip you to pieces."

As before, a small tremor gave lie to the otherwise brave words.

"We didn't hurt you," Kagome said at last, after seeing the demon lord shrink away from them more and more as they gaped. "You were caught in a rock fall; we dug you out."

"Really?" Seeing the truth in their eyes --and knowing that their scent betrayed no lie-- he calmed. "You helped me. Thank you. Father will probably want to thank you, too." That settled, he snuggled back down in the blankets, blinking sleepily.

Rin, still at Sesshomaru's side, looked worried at his strange behavior. She decided to get answers to at least one of her questions. "I'm Rin," she said quietly. "What's your name?"

"I'm Sesshomaru," came the tired reply. "My father's the Great Dog Demon InuTaisho, Lord of the Western Lands. Someday, I'll be big and strong like him, and the Western Lands will be mine."

"Oh." A small pause. "How old are you, my Lord?"

A tired, fang-baring yawn. "Six," he mumbled, then sleep claimed him.

A long moment of stunned silence passed as they stared down at the sleeping lord.

Dawn chose that moment to arrive, sunlight spreading across the land even as night's dusky blanket withdrew. Songbirds awoke, shook the dew from their feathers, began their first morning cheepings.

In the camp, Kagome concisely summed up their feelings with a concerned: "Oooh boy."

Miroku arrived then, walking into the clearing with a cheerful "Good morning, everyone!" Then he seemed to see them all, every one awake and still clustered around the --he checked quickly-- still-sleeping Sesshomaru. Still, something had happened, judging by their stunned expressions. "What did I miss?"

TBC...

Please review!


	3. Awakening

**Title:** Behind the Blue Moon  
**Author(s):** SkyFire  
**For Notes/Disclaimers, see part 1.**

_/Thoughts/_  
_Italics_

**oOoOo**  
**Part 3: Awakening**

It was nearly mid-morning before Sesshomaru woke again. As before, Rin was the first to notice his struggles to awaken, was the first to greet him as golden eyes opened, awareness flooding them within moments. A small frown crossed his face as he struggled to sit up slightly, repaying her ready help with a small, thankful smile.

"Here are your clothes, my-- er, Sesshomaru," Rin said, holding out the neatly-folded bundle of his clothing; washed, dried, and mended.

"Thank you," he said softly as he took the bundle awkwardly with his one hand. The tentative, almost shy tone of his words gave lie to the hope that his regression had been a one-time thing and that he would be his old self the next time he woke. He looked at the stump of his left arm for a long moment, frowning once more, before his expression cleared and he apparently put the question aside.

Kagome and Sango brought Rin with them down to a nearby stream, ostensibly to get some water and give Sesshomaru a girl-free place to get changed.

Once the girls were gone, Sesshomaru gave a quick look to the remaining members of the group. Seeing that they had no intention of going anywhere, he turned his back to them and pushed the blanket away, putting the clothing down close beside him.

The others discreetly ignored him, though they could hear the hiss of the fine cloth as well as the little noises he made as still-tender --if mostly-healed-- wounds protested his motions.

A heavy sigh of frustration, more quiet rustling.

Inuyasha looked up at the soft, hesitant touch on his shoulder, saw Sesshomaru standing there, teeth digging lightly into his lower lip, eyes full of frustration. "What?" he asked.

The injured youkai hesitated a moment more, his hand clutching at the front of his clothing; he had nudged Inuyasha with his elbow. "I can't... the ties... I tried, but... could you--?"

It was then that Inuyasha saw that none of the various ties and sashes that held Sesshomaru's clothing closed were tied, though a small amount of visible wrinkling showed that he _had_ tried.

He can't tie his own clothes shut/A brief surge of vindictive satisfaction flowed through him, only to be ground into the dirt by the look of frustration and borderline-humiliation in his half-brother's golden gaze.

Were it the older Sesshomaru, the one who repeatedly attacked him, tried to kill him --near-succeeding a few more times than the proud hanyou would admit-- he could give in to the glow of gleeful satisfaction that the other's inability to do so basic a thing inspired in him.

But this _wasn't_ the older Sesshomaru.

The body was the same, there was no doubt there; appearance and scent both proved it true, as did the presence of Rin and Jaken. But the consciousness inside was not, and he could not help but feel the slightest tinge of guilt for that earlier flash of emotion.

And so Inuyasha only nodded, reaching out clawed hands for the ties with a gruff: "Here, let me do it."

Seeing that the half-demon was going to help him, Sesshomaru released his hold on his clothing. Silken fabric, no longer held by anything, fell as it would; hanging limply from the shoulders, pooling in a snowy heap at his ankles, leaving the body half-covered at best before Inuyasha's startled gaze.

Not having expected that to happen as it had, Sesshomaru thanked the powers that at least he had managed to pull the laces of his underpants tight enough that they stayed put. As it was, his face was red enough that the pale purple stripes at each cheek were nearly invisible.

Inuyasha felt his own face heating as he froze in place, shock momentarily stealing his ability to think or move. He shook off the paralysis and finished the motion he had started, making quick work of the ties. Soon, Sesshomaru stood there before him, dressed once more, a thankful expression on his face. If his clothing was not as perfectly done as before his injury, what of it?

"Thank you," Sesshoumaru said. Kneeling on the grass, he bent forward over his knees, head nearly on the grass as he bowed to the startled half-demon who had helped him. "I am Sesshomaru." A small hesitation as he sat back on his feet, looking up at Inuyasha, curiosity dancing in his eyes. "You are kin to me; I can smell it. Did Father send you to protect me?"

_/Protect/_

It took Inuyasha a moment to start to figure out his answer. "I... er..." he trailed off uncertainly. An unsubtle jab in the back from Miroku's staff jolted the startled-silent words from him. "Yes, I'll protect you."

A gentle smile was his reward. "Thank you! Might I know the name of my guardian?"

_/My name? Oh. He scents that I'm related, but he doesn't remember that I'm his half-brother. I guess he doesn't remember that we're always fighting, either./_

"Inuyasha."

He waited a moment to see if his name had sparked any memories, but there was nothing that showed any recognition in Sesshomaru's eyes, face, scent, or actions. The demon lord simply bowed again in thanks.

Then Rin and Shippo came over and pulled him with them over to another patch of grass, this one liberally dotted with cheerfully-colored wildflowers.

**oOo**

"What are we going to do?"

So strange to look over and see a faint edge of clumsiness to once flawlessly graceful movements. So strange to see him kneeling on the grass, picking flowers with the children. So strange the small, shyly proud smile on his face as he made a flower chain under Rin's instruction, using knees and teeth to make up for his missing hand. So strange to see him _wear _the flowery crown he had made afterward, the flowers almost seeming to glow against the backdrop of his silvery hair.

"What are you looking at me for?" Inuyasha asked, seeing everyone looking to him for an answer. "I don't know!"

"He _is_ your brother," Miroku said, Kagome and Sango nodding in agreement.

"_Half_-brother," Inuyasha argued. "Not that that's any good to anyone. You were there when he woke up earlier. I had to introduce myself, same as everyone else."

"He's right, though, Inuyasha," Kagome said. "He trusts you. He did even before he knew your name."

"Big deal. He thinks I'm some guardian his father assigned to him!"

"There you go; he trusts you," she said blithely. "Now what are you going to do about him? We can't just abandon him; not when he's helpless like this."

"Kagome, this is Sesshomaru! Have you forgotten how many times he's tried to kill us?"

"I don't think that matters right now."

"But--"

"Don't make me say it. Now figure out what we're going to do about your brother."

Sigh.

TBC...  
Please review!


	4. Sesshomaru

**Title:** Behind the Blue Moon  
**Author(s):** SkyFire

**For Notes/Disclaimers, see part 1.**

_/Thoughts/_  
_Italics_

**oOoOo  
Part 4: Sesshomaru**

Sesshomaru winced as a stray sunbeam flashed across his face, burning into sensitive eyes and doing nothing to alleviate the throbbing in his head. Quickly, he moved out of the sun and back into the muted light of the green forest shadows. It was only during the last few hours that the light had come to bother him so; he had been fine that morning and the previous day. 

He remembered waking for the first time the day before --or was it the second? He seemed to recall vague flashes of what seemed to be memory featuring his new companions-- and the confusion that had assailed him at the sight of the not-unfamiliar-yet-still-unknown faces around him and the unexpected pain in his body. 

A rock slide, they had told him. They had dug him out, tended to his injuries. They meant him no harm. One, who had called himself Inuyasha when asked, smelled like both kin and human, and claimed to have been appointed as his guardian and protector by Inutaisho himself. 

He didn't know if that claim was truth or not; the scents of both truth and falsehood had been fairly equal when the words were spoken; truth in protection, falsehood in the naming of who charged him with such. 

A nearly-silent sigh. 

There was nothing to do about the issue until he was convinced either of their sincerity or treachery. In the meantime, he would keep eyes and ears open, watch them for clues to the people behind the faces, to the motivations of each. 

He winced again at the renewed throbbing in his head, his hand coming up to rub at a spot between snowy brows. 

It would be so much easier to think if his head didn't hurt so much. 

Then stubborn pride filled him. He might only be six, but he was Sesshomaru, son of the Great Dog Demon Inutaisho, Lord of the Western Lands and one of --if not _the_-- most powerful demons in all of Japan. He was his father's firstborn, his heir, and had been brought up as such, had had wisdom and politics taught to him since he was a pup barely able to crawl. Always, he had been taught his place, and the proper way to do everything. 

He lowered his hand, straightened himself, lifted his chin to the properly proud degree his tutors had always insisted on. Made a mostly-unsuccessful attempt to push the pain away. Made a slightly-more-successful effort to ignore the pain he could not banish. Made an entirely-successful effort to wipe his face clear of emotion that would show his weakness to anyone who looked his way. 

The heir of a powerful demon does not show weakness, and _pain_ is a weakness. 

Odd how it throbbed still, though. It had --according to his companions-- now been three days since the accident that had injured him. He had broken bones before, and never had they taken so long to heal. Was it because it was a head wound? 

He had seen the stains on the collar of his clothes the day before, enough to know that he had indeed been hurt, and quite badly at that. 

Even so, it was an annoyance that he could happily have done without. 

While he was on the subject of his clothing, _that_ had surprised him as well. He could not remember his having had that particular ensemble. When had he gotten it? Had that memory been knocked out of his head, along with the reason he had apparently been walking the cliff path? 

If that was the case, what other memories might have been jarred free? He had not missed the startled expressions that crossed his companions' faces at times after he said something. What were they hiding from him? 

But whatever the reason behind his lapse of memory, he had to admit he loved the clothes; so similar in style and coloring to those of his beloved father. He was sure he must look like a much smaller, much younger version of Inutaisho. A glow of pride ran through him at the thought. 

He was shaken from his internal musings as the oddly-dressed girl --Kagome, wasn't it?-- came up beside him and started speaking. 

"So... Sesshomaru," she began. "How are you feeling? Does your head still hurt?" 

He gave her a look that was a shadow of his infamous cold glare and spoke. "I'm fine," he said, the delivery spoiled by another stray beam of light across his eyes, causing a minute flinch he hoped she hadn't seen. 

But even if Kagome had missed the telltale twitch, one member of their party hadn't. 

"Why are you asking him?" Inuyasha cut in. "Demons --especially demon lords-- don't show weakness, and they certainly don't admit to it." 

"Weakness?" Kagome blinked. Then she turned back to Sesshomaru, a small rattling bottle in hand. "But if you're hurting, I can make it stop. You just have to tell me." 

The reply came again. "I'm fine." 

"Told you," said Inuyasha. 

Kagome just sighed, tucked the bottle away. 

The group continued on down the road, pace slightly slower than usual to accommodate the recovering youkai lord-child in their midst. 

**oOo**

It was night. 

They had stopped at a village somewhat earlier than was typical for them due to both a sudden, unexpected deluge of rain and the fact that Sesshomaru could no longer hide the weariness that had crept over him over the course of the day. Sopping wet and stumbling with poorly-concealed weariness, the great and powerful Lord of the Western Lands was a sad sight. 

At least he didn't give off the same faint wet-dog smell as Inuyasha. 

As usual when they stayed in a village instead of the wilds, Miroku zeroed in on the best inn in the village and got the group free room and board in return for the exorcism of an 'ominous cloud'. 

Sesshomaru might have been both miserable, his thoughts fogged with pain and weariness, but he wasn't _that_ far out of it. Moving over to Inuyasha, he spoke softly. "What ominous cloud? I don't sense any--" 

"Shh," came the quick reply. "Or do you _want_ to stay out in the rain?" 

"You mean there isn't--" 

"Shh!" 

Not long after, the group was enjoying the warmth of both the best room at the inn and a generous feast their host had insisted on after Miroku's exorcism. They were dressed in clothing provided by that same host, their own taken away to be dried. 

Sesshomaru only nibbled at his food; the throbbing ache in his head preventing him from eating as he might have. 

Odd, though, to eat in such mixed company. Always before, his tattered memories assured him, he had eaten alone or in the company of other full youkai. He had even been taught by father and tutors to use the excuse that he 'didn't eat human food' to escape those situations. But that night it was either eat with them or stay hungry. 

Perhaps his father would forgive him that lapse of propriety after he heard the tale. 

**oOo**

Warm and fed, the disparate members of the group settled down to sleep. Soon, the sound of sleep-deepened breathing was the only sound in the room. The warm embers in the fire pit cast an orange-red glow over everything. 

Near-silently, a pale figure sat up, pushed the blankets away. Standing, he crept over to the wall where Kagome's bag sat, opened it, searching... 

A strangled gasp, stopped before it escaped entirely, was heard as another arm came from behind and reached into the bag, and pulled out the object of his search-- that small, rattling bottle from earlier. 

"Can't sleep?" Inuyasha asked quietly. 

A brief hesitation. "No. My head..." 

The hanyou just nodded, hiding his surprise at his half-brother's admittance of pain. _/His head must really be hurting for him to admit it like that./_

There was a small pause, a rattle, another pause, then: "Here." 

Sesshomaru looked over, saw Inuyasha holding out two small round tablets and a drinking-bowl of water. "What-?" 

"Swallow these, wash out the taste with the water. Whatever you do, _don't_ bite down on them. They taste _terrible_!" 

Hesitantly, the youkai took the offered items, looked back up at his guardian, question plain in typically-unreadable golden eyes. 

"It'll make the pain go away." 

That was all it took, really. Since he already knew that Inuyasha meant to protect him, he knew that it didn't mean he wouldn't feel pain because he was dead. He knew it to be safe. 

He swallowed Inuyasha's offering in one huge gulp of water. Satisfied that his half-brother's pain would fade --and that as a result he would stop the tossing and turning that had kept him awake-- Inuyasha went back over to his chosen spot and slumped back down to sleep. 

He had nearly drifted off entirely when instinct gave him a hard prod, jerking him to partial --if not full-- wakefulness; something was sneaking up on him... 

The 'something' plopped down beside him in a blanket-wrapped bundle, yawned widely, then snuggled into his shoulder. 

"Huh?" came the drowsy question. "Whaddaya think you're doing? Get off me!" 

But Sesshomaru only yawned. "Can't sleep," he mumbled. He snuggled closer to Inuyasha, eyes going vague before drifting shut. "Better." 

Any further protests fell on deaf ears as the mighty demon lord succumbed at last to sleep. 

The confounded hanyou stared speechlessly down at the youkai sleeping against him. He looked quickly around the room, his sharp senses telling him that no one else was awake. Thus reassured, he reached over with his free hand, grasped Sesshomaru's slipping blanket and tucked the other in securely. 

That task accomplished, Inuyasha settled back down and joined his companions in slumber. 

.  
TBC...  
Please review! I'd love to hear from you. 

If you have a question you want answered about this story, go over to my livejournal (link in my bio page) and leave a comment on the chapter in question there. I _do_ answer those! 


	5. Discovery

**Title:** Behind the Blue Moon  
**Author(s):** SkyFire  
**For Notes/Disclaimers, see part 1.**

**A/N 1:** My apologies for the long delay in updating! At first I was waiting for my copy of the Season 2 Box Set to get here so I could see the Rin-Sesshomaru interaction for myself (I don't want them to be _too_ OOC), and the week after that I was watching episodes over and over and over and over. Anyone have Seasons 3 and up that they'd be willing to copy for me? I'm going to buy the box set when it comes out, but I can't stand the thought of not seeing new eps for a long time! I don't have cable/satellite and my internet is dial-up so downloading is _not_ an option. :o(((

**A/N 2:** I just want to warn you in advance: As far as I know, I cannot write battle scenes. I tried my best, and I think it turned out passably, but in case it didn't, I'm apologizing beforehand. Any suggestions on how to make it better are greatly appreciated. Though, as I said in the notes in part 1, any and all flames will be fed to the youkai I have chained in my basement, and what he decides to do with them is none of my business.

_**A/N 3:** It seems FF net is eating my punctuation at the end of 'thought' lines. If you want to see the _correct_ version, check out my LJ (link in bio).  
_

_HUGE Thanks to all my reviewers! It's very much appreciated; I love hearing from you!_

_:Thoughts:_  
_Italics_

**Part 5: Discovery**

It was, perhaps, as inevitable as it was undesired and unfortunate.

But there it was.

Naraku had found them and, as seemed to be his preferred tactic, he had sent a horde of demons against them.

Now Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, and Miroku fought against the horde while Shippo, Rin, and Sesshomaru did their best to stay out of harm's way.

From his perch in a tree at the edge of the battle, Naraku watched the fight in open amusement as his latest incarnation --a demon that combined the attributes of both Kageromaru and Goshinki-- did battle with Inuyasha, knocking the annoyingly persistent half-breed around the clearing, even as Sango and Miroku struggled against the swarm of lesser demons and Kagome practiced her archery, arrows hitting the mark more because it would be hard to miss hitting _something_ in that throng than because of any inherent skill.

As amusing as that particular battle was to observe, his curiosity was roused by an unexpected flash of white --barely seen out of the corner of one eye-- as Inuyasha's fight moved to another portion of the large, grassy meadow.

Ever alert to the possibility of ambush, Naraku turned his attention more fully in the direction of the distraction, crimson eyes scanning the edge of the tree line and the clusters of bushes before it for the source.

All but ignored for now the battle continued, spreading to tear up nearly every inch of the once-scenic meadow --taking out not a few trees as well-- as Inuyasha fought his latest incarnation even as Sango and Miroku held off the rest of the horde.

But where was that elusive whiteness hiding? Odd; you would think that a color so ghostly would stand out like a sore thumb against the greens and browns of the tree line.

_:Where is it:_ Naraku wondered, extending his senses outward, trying to pinpoint exactly _where_, and _what,_ and--

_:Ah. Now isn't this interesting.:_

Crouched in the bushes with a young human girl and a fox kit was Sesshomaru. And not just and Sesshomaru, no: this one sported a bandage wrapped around his head, a worried expression and he watched the inu hanyou and his friends battle Naraku's minions, and his armor and weaponry were nowhere in evidence.

_:So. Sesshomaru is wounded, is he:_ A sinister smile spread across pale lips. _:What a perfect opportunity for me to add his powers to my own at last:_

No sooner thought than done. Naraku's tentacles shot out toward the concealed trio.

To Sesshomaru's credit, though he was wounded and yet only a child in his own mind, he managed to get the three of them out of the path of the tentacles. All three of them made brief frightened noises at the attack even as they fled to another part of the tree line, then another, and yet another as those evil tentacles found them without fail.

_:Interesting.:_ Naraku thought as he directed the tentacles, watching as Sesshomaru --hand-in-hand with he fox and girl-- fled before him. _:Why doesn't Sesshomaru destroy my tentacles? Is it because he remembers that even chopped apart they still follow my will? Or is it something more:_ Crimson eyes narrowed as he watched the fleeing youkai more closely, finding yet more small details that, when added together, formed a most intriguing whole. _:Is he, just perhaps, more wounded that I first suspected:_

**oOo**

There was no warning.

One moment he and the other children were running from those persistent tentacles, the next he was being hoisted up into the air by the throat by a tentacle that had come from before them, not behind.

Throwing dignity to the wind --damn the lecture his tutors would doubtlessly foist upon him if they heard of the lapse!-- he fought back like the child he was, kicking out with his feet, scratching with his claws.

To no avail.

He choked as he was pulled toward the center of the writhing mass of tentacles, seeing now the shape of a pelt-wrapped figure at its very heart.

All of which was secondary as a slow panic began to take over him, sending chill waves of fear coursing through his veins; held up be the throat as he was, he was finding it harder and harder to breathe.

**oOo**

Rin screamed as the tentacle came out of nowhere, grabbed hold of Lord Sesshomaru and pulled him into the air and away. "Lord Sesshomaru!" she cried. "No! Lord Sesshomaru!"

What could she do? She had to save her Lord Sesshomaru. But how? She was just a little girl! She needed help. She needed--

"Lord Inuyasha! Lord Inuyasha! The tentacle got Lord Sesshomaru! Help!"

**oOo**

_:Finally:_

Inuyasha panted slightly as he watched the Backlash Wave tear Naraku's incarnation into little bite-sized pieces. He was sore all over, covered in blood --his own and his opponent's-- but knew that he had only moments before he had to go help the others with the rest of the demons.

No help for it. A few passes of the Wind Scar should just about--

"Lord Inuyasha!"

_:Rin:_

"Lord Inuyasha, the tentacle got Lord Sesshomaru! Help!"

_:Tentacle? Naraku:_

Turning quickly, golden eyes searched for --there! He saw Sesshomaru kicking and squirming in mid-air, held up by a tentacle around his throat, face slowly turning red from lack of air.

"Naraku!" he yelled even as he charged, Tetsusaiga at the ready over one shoulder. "Let him go!"

But Naraku was ready for the attacking hanyou and, before he quite registered the danger, Inuyasha found himself being hauled up into the air by one ankle by a tentacle that had lain concealed in the grass against just such an attack.

"I-Inu--" Sesshomaru choked out, seeing his guardian captured even as he himself had been.

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha called as he was hauled through the air toward Naraku even as his half-brother was, barely managing to keep his hold on the Tetsusaiga. "Can you get free?"

The youkai clawed once more at the suffocating tentacle, watched as the wounds healed up again nearly instantly. "The tears... heal up... too fast," he gasped in reply.

"Use your poison claws!" Inuyasha said as he swiped at the writhing appendages with his sword, unable to put much force into the blows because he was both upside-down and in mid-air with nothing to brace himself against.

"My what?"

TBC...

Reviews/feedback much appreciated. If you have a question or a comment you want an answer/reply to, post it with the chapter in my Livejournal (there's a link to it in my bio). It might take a little while, but I _will_ answer you!


	6. Sesshomaru's Claws

**Title:** Behind the Blue Moon  
**Author(s):** SkyFire

**For Notes/Disclaimers, see part 1.**

**oOoOo  
Part 6**

_My what?_

"Argh! I did _not_ just hear that!"

Of all the responses he could have gotten, that had to be the least-expected. How could the youkai not know about his poison claws? Couldn't he _remember--_?

Inuyasha bit off a curse even as he took another weak swipe at the tentacles holding him.

More by luck than anything else, the razor edge of the transformed Tetsusaiga sliced through the tentacles wrapped around him.

Landing lightly on his feet, he turned quickly and sliced the purple-faced Sesshomaru free of Naraku's stranglehold. Grabbing his half-brother around the waist Inuyasha leapt, carrying him away from Naraku.

He landed in a stand of bushes at the edge of the clearing, setting the shaken demon down on his feet. He stared briefly into dazed amber eyes then, knowing that it was only a matter of time before those vile tentacles tried for them again, Inuyasha grabbed him firmly by the arms and shook him.

Sesshomaru gasped, awareness flooding his eyes, accompanied by a hint of the fear he was biting back with an effort. When that tentacle had come at him from out of nowhere; when it had seized him by the throat and hauled him from his new friends; when the hold about his neck had stopped his breath, leaving him gasping in mid-air, his body screaming for the air it was no longer allowed -- it had shaken him far more than he would ever admit to anyone.

Now he stared into the eyes of Inuyasha, the one to whom his father had entrusted his wellbeing.

Somehow, he didn't think his father had taken creatures such as the tentacle-sprouting demon -- Half-demon? There was something about that scent -- into consideration.

Inuyasha saw the Demon Lord's brief focus fade out and gave him another firm shake. "Sesshomaru!" he snapped brusquely. "Focus!"

Sesshomaru blinked, stared at Inuyasha. "Yes?"

Inuyasha could sense Naraku's tentacles closing in on all sides. Before the seeking appendages reached them, he had to teach his amnesiac half-brother to use his natural weaponry.

The hanyou cursed under his breath. Right How was he supposed to do that? Being on the receiving end of Sesshomaru's attacks didn't mean that he knew how they worked from the _other_ end!

But then again, did he have to?

_/That's it/_

"Sesshomaru, about your attacks--"

"The poison claws, you said?"

"Forget that. Now--"

"But how do I--"

Biting off a curse as Naraku's tentacles found them, ending all possibility of a normal -- if a bit rushed -- conversation, Inuyasha once again grabbed his half-brother about the waist, leaping away--

--too late.

The brothers struggled as they were quickly grabbed by the green appendages, separated, and hauled out into the clearing once more.

At the far side of the clearing, Sango and Miroku continued to fight the quickly-diminishing horde of Naraku's demonic minions. Kagome stood a little away, sending her arrows speeding into the mass. All three bore a wealth of mostly-superficial cuts and bruises, but were still going strong.

Naraku stood at the opposite end of the clearing, his tentacles squirming around him, his poisonous wasps in the air all over.

"Inuyasha!" Sesshomaru called out as they were pulled nearer to the smirking Naraku. The tentacles were wrapping firmly around his chest and left leg. He kicked and clawed, but as before the tentacles healed before he could do any noticeable amount of damage. "How do I--" he grunted as the tentacles tightened slightly, squeezing him uncomfortably, cutting his breath short.

"Don't think!" Inuyasha called back. He growled as Naraku squeezed him tightly. He managed to work a hand over to the hilt of the sheathed Tetsusaiga, but couldn't draw it.

"What?" Sesshomaru gasped.

They were getting distressingly close to where Naraku lurked at the apex of the tentacles. As more and more tentacles reached out to hold them, neither paid much attention as the baboon skin was shed, as serrated red and grey pincerlike appendages sprouted from the evil hanyou's back. Were those legs? Crimson eyes glinted malevolently even as his smirk widened, becoming almost gloating.

Sesshomaru, both legs now trapped as well as his chest, continued to claw at the tentacles. _/Come on/_ he urged his claws, _/be poison, like Inuyasha said you can/_

His claws, rather unsurprisingly, didn't obey.

Inuyasha managed to rip apart a few of the tentales wrapped around his torso, gulped for air in a series of harsh pants. He could see his half-brother clawing at his own restraints, gasping for air, brow furrowed slightly in fruitless concentration.

"Don't think!" he called again. "You're trying too hard. Your body knows how to defend itself." A gasp as the tentacles around him tightened abruptly. Trying to stop him? "Don't think 'how'. Just do it!"

"But--" A small grimace as the tentacles tightened again.

Fear.

Panic began too set in as he realized that the hold on him was _too_ tight -- he couldn't breathe and his ribs were screaming at the pressure. Desperately he clawed, trying with all he had to make his claws be poison--

--to no avail.

Then it happened.

Mindless with panic even as his vision started to fade out at the edges, he couldn't think about anything other than the fact that he couldn't breathe.

Just couldn't breathe.

Demonic energy rose abruptly in a hazy reddish aura around him as instinct took over.

Poisonous acid hissed.

Claws swiped.

Sesshomaru landed lightly on his feet on the ground, bits and pieces of green raining down all around him.

His hand flicked gracefully. Light coiled, flashed.

Inuyasha landed beside him in anther green rain, Tetsusaiga drawn and swinging before he even fully touched ground.

"Wind Scar!"

**TBC...**

So what did you think? I think I'm getting a bit better at battle-scenes, but if you have any suggestions, I'm all ears! I'd also love to hear from you, so feel free to click the link down there and leave a message. Do you like the story so far? What would you like to see? What was your favorite part so far? Is it still interesting? Anything, really, except flames...


	7. Sesshomaru's Claws II

**Title:** Behind the Blue Moon  
**Author(s):** SkyFire

**For Notes/Disclaimers, see part 1.**

**A/N: There seems to be a bit of confusion, so I thought I'd clear something up.**

**_(1) Why isn't he more upset at his size and the lack of his left arm?_**  
This, I can kinda see. that being said, I did write that Sess sees himself as being little. that means that if he looked at his reflection, his mind would transform what was actually there into what he expected to see, so he would see little-him. He would also hear his voice as his little-kid voice. As for the arm-- the mind is a strange thing, and probably rationalized the loss away so as to prevent a more serious mental trauma. He thinks he's six, so his mind plays tricks to prevent him from freaking out. That's how I see it, anyway.

**_(2) Why's he so good with his natural weaponry?_**  
Even though his mind is saying it's six, _he_ is _not_. It works like muscle memory; even though he might not consciously remember how to use his poison claws or whip, his subconscious _does_. So when he was panicking and instinct took over, his body reacted as it had countless times before and _poof_ slice-and-dice time!

**ALSO** there are a few links in my bio page that you should check out. _One_ is a PSA from my muses, a sketch showing what happens when you yell at an author, even if it is yelling of the 'more right now!' variety. _The other two_ are about how to leave a review. Not everyone needs this, but I like re-reading them every now and again just as a reminder to me; they're very good guidelines. The references are for the Highlander fandom, but the guides are good everywhere.

As always, I have to say thank you to my reviewers, it's very appreciated! HUGS to you all! If you have a question that you really want an answer to, go to my bio page and click the link to my LJ. I answer every comment/review left there.

Whew, that's a long set of notes! Now, on with the story!

**oOoOo**  
**Part 7: Sesshomaru's Claws II**

The Wind Scar's attack blasted through Naraku's hastily-erected barrier, barely pausing as it went on to strike the no longer cockily-overconfident man.

"No!" growled Naraku even as bits and pieces of his tentacle-sprouting body dissolved or went flying, showering the area in ichor-dripping, still-writhing sections of soft grey and green tentacles and chitinous red legs.

Though seriously injured yet again by the strike, he managed to escape once more in his now-familiar swirling miasma, followed quickly by what was left of the swarm of his poisonous insects.

"Damn it!" cursed Inuyasha as the remnants of Naraku's toxic fog dissipated, revealing the part-littered clearing -- and no Naraku. Again. "How many times do I have to blast that guy!"

A small, choked-off sound from nearby drew the hanyou's attention even as his human companions finished off the last of the demon horde before turning to each other, quickly breaking out the first-aid kit and seeing to each other's wounds.

"Sesshomaru?" came the quiet -- for Inuyasha -- query. A step in his half-brother's direction. "Hey, are you all right?"

**oOo**

His face and hands felt chilled as he looked jerkily around the clearing. Wide golden eyes jumped from one bit of gore to the next even as his shaking hand rose to his tightening throat.

The scent of blood, sweat, and ichor hung heavy in the air as he swallowed convulsively against the rising wave of nausea even as his gaze rose to meet that of his guardian. "I-- I--"

The words stuck in his too-tight throat. He swallowed again, trying to ease it; to no avail.

A slight tickle drew his attention down to his hand. Ichor dripped from claws and fingers, splattered his hand and sleeve in slowly-drying green smears. His wrist-stripes were nearly entirely covered.

He felt the blood leave his face in a rush at the sight. A vague tug at the side of his face as he grimaced betrayed the fact that the drying gore was splattered there as well.

It was too much for his six-year-old mind to grasp, to rationalize. The son of the Lord of the Western Lands though he might be, Sesshomaru was -- as were all young demons of his age and status -- surprisingly sheltered. He had never -- as far as he could remember -- ever seen anyone so much as seriously wounded, let alone dead. And now there he was, covered with gore, bits and pieces of myriad demons spread all over the once-idyllic clearing, ichor and bits of flesh caked beneath his claws--

"I-- I--"

**oOo**

Inuyasha watched incredulously, momentarily struck speechless, as Sesshomaru turned away from them, staggered hurriedly to the edge of the clearing, then gifted a helpless bush with all he had last eaten. The hanyou wiped the Tetsusaiga off on a mostly-clean scrap of fur on a halved demon, then sheathed the mighty blade.

"Sessho... maru...?" Inuyasha finally managed to stammer, even as he went over to the choking and heaving demon lord. Overcome by a surge of his protective instincts -- for Sesshomaru, of all people! -- Inuyasha gathered up the long silver hair, keeping it away from the mess, even as his other hand rubbed soothing circles on his half-brother's back. "Hey, it's all right. Naraku's gone."

A few more minuted of dry-heaving passed before Sesshomaru felt well enough to move away from the mess he had made. He stood, then walked shakily over to a tree just outside the now-gruesome clearing, and sat down on the scraggly grass there.

Inuyasha watched as his half-brother rubbed his hand on the ground, clearly trying to get the gore off his hand with limited success; with only one hand to work with, he managed to wipe off a little of the mess, but only managed to smear the rest. And as for the stuff under his claws--

A hard sigh left the hanyou. He followed the demon lord, sat down beside him. Ripping up a thick clump of slightly-damp moss from a nearby rock, he reached out a hand. "Let me help."

**oOo**

Sesshomaru looked up at the offer, saw his guardian. He looked to his hand; sighed in disgust when he saw that he had only managed to cover his hand in dirt on top of the gore that already coated it. Another sigh, then he held out his hand to be cleaned.

Even as Inuyasha firmly scrubbed at the hand with his scrap of moss, Sesshomaru was inwardly berating himself. What would his father think if he found out about that day? About that whole journey? He had broken so many of his tutors' rules! Surely his father would be so disappointed in him.

"Don't worry about it so much."

Sesshomaru looked up at the softly-spoken words. "What?"

"Don't worry so much," Inuyasha repeated, showing an uncharacteristic patience that would have shocked his human companions had they been near enough to witness it. "You're brooding." A small pause. "You can tell me."

"I--" A hard sigh. "Father won't like this. Any of this. Traveling with humans. Eating with humans. Fighting with anything. The mess I made of myself fighting. Throwing up." Another sigh. "I won't ever be allowed out again!"

Inuyasha was quiet a moment, thinking that over. Then he spoke. "You're saying that your father would rather you be alone, hungry, and letting yourself get killed?"

Sesshomaru frowned. When it was put like that--

"Look. You did what you had to. There's no shame in that."

"But I fought. Father always said to let other people fight for me if I had to because I'm still too small. I can't fight be myself. I don't know how."

"Like I said: you did what you had to."

"But--"

"If you hadn't, you would be dead. Would you have preferred that?"

"No, but--"

"Well, then. That's all there is to it." A small pause. "I'd think he'd be proud."

"Proud?"

"You're six, right? You did pretty well, I'd say."

"Oh." A small smile, a hopeful gleam replacing the despondency in oddly-young amber eyes. "Thank you."

More than a little embarrassed to have had to give such reassurances, Inuyasha finished cleaning Sesshomaru's hand in silence; scrubbing with the moss, then cleaning under the claws with a convenient twig.

He had just finished when Shippo and Rin ran up.

"Lord Sesshomaru, you're all right! I was so worried!" Rin cried, laying a big hug about Sesshomaru's shoulders. "When that thing grabbed you--!"

"I thought you were a goner for sure," Shippo said.

"I'm all right," the demon lord said simply, uncertainly returning Rin's hug. He let go when she did, then stood. Looking to Inuyasha, he said: "I'm all right now, just a little sore."

The hanyou nodded. "Let's go back to the others, then."

The four of them arrived in the clearing just in time to see one of the demons lying on the ground rise to its feet -- apparently it had been knocked unconscious, not killed, and had just awakened -- and, before anyone could do anything about it, it swung one huge hand, sending Sango flying.

The demon sayer -- hiraikotsu slung across her back as always when not in use -- flew across the glade from the force of the blow. She slammed into Sesshomaru and the momentum sent them both flying back to smash into the trunk a tree. Both fell to the ground after the hit, stunned.

Miroku and Kagome quickly took care of the demon, even as the two picked themselves up off the ground. Sango shook her head, dizzy for a moment, then she was back to her old -- if bruised and battered -- self. Sesshomaru got up, staggered. His hand rose shakily to his head, rubbed at his forehead even as he grimaced. His gaze -- a bit vaguer than usual -- finally settled on Inuyasha.

"My head hurts," he said simply.

Then he collapsed.

TBC...


	8. Deus Ex

**Title:** Behind the Blue Moon  
**Author(s):** SkyFire

**For Notes/Disclaimers, see part 1.**

**_A/N: There are a few links in my bio page here that you can check out._** _One_ is a PSA from my muses, a sketch showing what happens when you yell at an author, even if it is yelling of the 'more right now!' variety. _Two_ are about how to leave a review. Not everyone needs this, but I like re-reading them every now and again just as a reminder to me; they're very good guidelines. The references are for the Highlander fandom, but the guides are good everywhere. _Third_ is a link to my new Inuyasha fanfic archive. Please, go there! It's open to gen and slash (het, too, if anyone volunteers to mod), all divided into categories so you won't get into what you don't want to.

As always, I have to say thank you to my reviewers, it's very much appreciated! HUGS to you all! If you have a question that you really want an answer to, go to my bio page and click the link to my LJ. I answer every comment/review left there.

Whew, that's a long set of notes! Now, on with the story!

**oOoOo**  
**Part 8: Deus Ex**

As usual of late, Inuyasha was the first to Sesshomaru's side after he fell. He gently pulled his half-brother out of his uncomfortable-looking sprawl, then lay him down on the grass. The scent of fresh blood, Sesshomaru's blood, sent the hanyou on a quick search for new wounds. What he found both shocked and sickened him.

The source of the blood turned out to be the back of the demon's head. Beneath the bandages, his hair was soaked and sticky with fresh blood the source of which was an inch-wide cut. Looking closer, Inuyasha saw something greyish protruding slightly. Thinking it was just a bit of debris that had worked its way under the bandages during their fight with Naraku, Inuyasha reached out, grabbed it firmly with clawed fingers, then --gently, not wanting to cause his brother more hurt than he had to -- pulled.

And pulled.

And pulled, watching in sickened fascination as the grey debris revealed itself to be a three-inch-long sliver of grey stone.

Sesshomaru made a small sound -- of pain or relief it wasn't clear -- as the sliver was removed, then seemed to relax slightly.

Inuyasha set the sliver aside, stomach turning at the realization that the only time the silver-haired demon had been that close to stone was when he had been buried beneath it that first day. The shard must have gone in, then the skin healed over it thanks to Sesshomaru's accelerated healing powers.

Ignoring the concerned chatter of his friends -- now gathered around the two Inu -- Inuyasha carefully examined the area around the sliver's wound, sensitive fingers prodding gently, searching for any other pieces of stone that might be similarly hidden. He found two tiny pieces, hardly bigger than the tip of a claw, and removed them. That done, he re-bandaged the bloody head, wrapped Sesshomaru up securely in a blanket offered by Rin, then lifted him up in his arms.

A quick glance at his companions showed them to be as ready as he to leave the grisly clearing. A quick glance at the sky told him that they had hours yet before dark would force the humans to stop for the night.

"Let's go," he said simply, shifting his burden to a more comfortable position. "If you all ride on Kirara, we can make it to last night's camp before dark." A small tugging at one sleeve made him look down to see Rin standing there, one hand still clasping his sleeve, eyes big and pleading. "What?" he asked, even as the others settled themselves onto a newly-transformed Kirara.

"Can Rin go with you, Lord Inuyasha?" she asked simply.

Refusal was on the tip of his tongue but a combination of her big eyes and the already-overloaded Kirara stopped it before he could give it voice. Besides, she was small. How much could she weigh him down, anyway?

A small sigh escaped him, then -- careful not to jostle the unconscious man in his arms -- Inuyasha knelt down to let Rin climb onto his back.

"Thank you, Lord Inuyasha!" she said as she took her place, wrapping her arms around his shoulders gently but firmly enough that he knew she would not fall even at the pace he would be moving. Had Sesshomaru ever--?

He stood, took a few steps to settle her weight. As he'd suspected, she weighed almost nothing. Another small step to settle Sesshomaru, then he was off. First at a walk, then a jog, sprint, finally settling into a ground-eating lope as he headed off in the direction of their last camp, Kirara following him in the air.

**oOo**

This time it seems that Sesshomaru was only out for the night, as the first spray of dawn's light across his face caused him to stir, a small sound of discontent escaping him even as he shifted in his blanket on the ground, a nearly imperceptible frown crossing his face even as he turned his back to the morning light.

If Inuyasha seemed to be first to Sesshomaru's side when he fell, Rin was the one to be there the second he showed signs of waking, and so it was.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" she called softly as he turned again, pulling the blanket up high around him; only the top of his head was visible above it.

The blanket lowered at her call, golden eyes blinked at her, confusion apparent in their depths. A small grimace and soft whimper as the sun caught his eyes. A small sniff, then a deeper one. He struggled to push himself upright, his movements oddly reminiscent of youth; even Rin was above the motions he used. Another sniff, dismay crossing his face, mouth turning down unhappily at the edges.

Around them, the camp roused. Inuyasha stirred up the fire, then left to hunt up some meat for breakfast. Fish, perhaps -- the camp was near enough to a stream full of them. Kagome put a pot of water near the fire to heat, then dug around in her bag for something to add to the coming meal. Miroku, Sango, and Shippou tended to the rest of the chores involved with packing up camp. Each spared the time to toss a glance Sesshomaru's way, checking on the youkai. He was awake, seemingly coherent. They would be on their way soon, then...

Sesshomaru's gaze flitted from one person to the next even as he strained to catch a familiar scent. Failing utterly, he turned dampening eyes to Rin who sat beside him. "Where's Mama? Where's Father?"

"Um..." Rin was at a loss. Didn't he remember what had happened since he had been hurt? But it seemed that he was different now than then; even younger. What had that last blow to the head done to him?

Her questions were left unanswered as he suddenly cried out, tears spilling free, his single hand shooting up to grab at his bandaged head. "Hurts," he whimpered, then fell back to the ground.

"Lord Sesshomaru!"

**oOo**

It was midmorning the next time the injured demon lord showed signs of waking.

At his side as always, Rin watched as he made a small sound, then as amber eyes blinked open, the remains of her last breakfast-fish on its stick in her hand quickly forgotten.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

Inuyasha walked over at her softly-spoken words. Having been told of his half-brother's further regression by the others upon his return to camp that morning, he was ready to reprise his role as the injured lord's 'guardian'. "Sesshomaru?" he said gruffly.

Pain-narrowed eyes flicked from Rin to Inuyasha to the others who sat around the fire; near, but not as immediately so as the young girl and hanyou. A delicate sniff, followed quickly by a frown. "Father?" he called. When there was no reply, he looked to Inuyasha, ignoring Rin completely. "Hanyou, where is my father? You have his scent about you; tell me where he is. Why did he leave me here?"

Said hanyou blinked. That wasn't the sound of the frightened child the others had told him of. That was the sound of a young demon lord, yes, but one slightly older than he had been when he awoke after his initial injury. So: he was older than six in his mind, but other than that...?

And what was he supposed to say in answer to his half-brother's questions? Judging from his dismissal of Rin, his 'I'm superior to any human' attitude was well and truly starting to settle in, though it seemed he wasn't as anti-hanyou as he was uninjured.

"I--" Inuyasha started haltingly. What should he say...?

But he was barred from having to answer when Sesshomaru once again cried out in pain, clutching at his head, and graced the ground with his unconscious presence.

Inuyasha took the moment to unwind the bandages from around Sesshomaru's head, checking on the healing of the wounds there. He found that all were closed, the spectacular swelling and bruising around the area beginning to subside at last.

Could that be the reason behind the youkai's strange leaps in mental age? If so, would he be entirely better by the time those last signs of injury faded completely?

He could only hope. Estranged or not, he didn't want to think of the proud Sesshomaru having to somehow go through life being a different age every time he woke. With the enemies he had doubtless acquired during his lifetime, he surely wouldn't last long once word of his weakness got out.

Softly, so quietly that even Rin, sitting close beside him, didn't hear it, he spoke. "You have to get better, Sesshomaru." Then, as if to deny the concern that the words demonstrated, he continued. "I'm not gonna take care of you for the rest of my life!"

**oOo**

The rest of the day was wearing on the group camped with the injured youkai. Every now and again he would wake, and every time he was a different age; neither of which seemed to have any sort of pattern to them. One time, he was naught but a frightened child, tears pouring free; the next, he hurled Inuyasha across the clearing with a blast of demonic energy, snarling; only to curl up against the somewhat battered hanyou's chest and go back to sleep the next time.

**oOo**

The moon was rising in the twilight sky, its form a mirror to the one that graced the demon's forehead, when the lump of blankets that was Sesshomaru stirred.

Rin, worn out from the long and stressful day, had curled into a ball not far away from him. Inuyasha had covered the girl with a blanket after making sure that none of his companions saw him do it, tucked it in snugly around her.

The hanyou, keeping watch from his typical perch high in a tree, looked down into the camp as he heard the rustle of blankets from his half-brother's position. Their gazes met, gold-on-gold. One last glance around, one last sniff, and then Inuyasha jumped down, secure in the fact that there were no demons around to threaten.

Sesshomaru sat up, sparing the camp and the slumbering figures therein barely a passing glance before his expressionless gaze settled once more on Inuyasha, who was now making his way across the clearing toward him.

"Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha asked softly once he was close enough. He moved into a crouch not far from Sesshomaru; just far enough to be out of easy range of a swipe from those razor claws.

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru acknowledged. A small pause, as if a fight was raging internally between his curiosity and pride. Curiosity won, apparently, for he turned once more to his sibling. "Where am I? How did I get here? This isn't the cliff-path we were walking, nor is it nearby."

Inuyasha was saved once again from having to answer awkward questions when Rin, her senses tuned in to her Lord even in sleep, woke and turned to look at the two of them. Seeing Sesshomaru sitting up and seemingly lucid, a huge grin crossed her face. Tossing the blanket aside, she launched herself at him, catching him about the shoulders in a tight hug. "Lord Sesshomaru! Are you well now, my Lord?"

Inuyasha watched, eyes wide with disbelief, as Sesshomaru's arm rose seemingly of its own accord and a wickedly-clawed hand gently stroked the girl's hair.

"Rin," he said in acknowledgment. "I am well. But why are we with the half-breed mongrel and his pack?"

Tears rose up in the girl's eyes, spilled free. "I'm so glad you're well, my Lord! I was so worried these last few days!" She hugged him tighter, though she took care not to let her tears drip down onto him and stain his silk. "I'm so glad!" She sniffled.

"Days?" Sesshomaru repeated emotionlessly. He looked from the girl in his arm back to the hanyou, who was still steaming over the 'half-breed mongrel' remark. "Days? Explain. Now."

Before Inuyasha could decide how to tackle the question -- did he mention it was him knocking that demon into the side of the cliff that brought the path down in the first place, or not? -- Rin took the choice from him.

"The path fell, my Lord," she said calmly, finally releasing her hold on his shoulders. Instead, she settled against his side, letting his arm wrap protectively around her. "You threw Rin out of danger, but then--" she couldn't get the words out, her throat closing at the thought even now that he was safe. "Then I dug and dug, and Inuyasha and his friends too. I was so scared, my Lord! It took so long to find you in the fallen stone. There was blood everywhere. It was terrible!"

Sesshomaru stroked her hair soothingly even as she hid her face against his chest. From her abbreviated account, he was able to put together what must have happened. "The cliff-path collapsed, burying this Sesshomaru?" he said at last. "I was injured?"

In an unspoken accord, both Rin and Inuyasha decided that they would never tell Sesshomaru that he had been anything other than unconscious the whole time.

Some things you just didn't tell a proud youkai lord.

**END**

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